THE "absent" #6 million owed to Sefton Council for the sale of the Ocean Plaza site has finally been received.

THE "absent" #6 million owed to Sefton Council for the sale of the Ocean Plaza site has finally been received.

After a meeting of the authority's Cabinet yesterday (Thursday, January 17th) it was announced all the legal documentation has been completed and the money, from developers Greenport Estates, has exchanged hands.

The council is relieved and delighted at the news and has termed the transaction "the final piece of the Ocean Plaza jigsaw."

Chief executive, Graham Haywood, said: "We have been acutely aware of people's concerns and frustrations but with a project of this magnitude it inevitably takes time to dot the i's and cross the t's.

"Before the scheme took place the site was derelict and had been independently assessed as having nil value.

"The same site will now have a #26 million complex on it and the council has #6 million in the bank that can be used for further development."

Ocean Plaza is to form the backbone of the council's ambitious plans to give the town's seafront a #43 million facelift.

It will bring an extra 300 jobs to the resort.

Sefton has been widely criticised for the secrecy surrounding the project, heightened by a number of setbacks.

The council insists it can put these behind it and looks forward to the opening of the development, scheduled to take place from early summer.

Leader of the council, Cllr David Bamber, said: "From talking to people we know they are fed up with all the speculation and arguments that are constantly appearing.

"They have made it clear they want to know two things. "Is it going to be built and when?

"I'm really pleased to finally be able to answer Yes and Now."

Workers are back on site and officers say there should now be a marked increase in the intensity of the construction work.